Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Women's Volleyball Nations League match.
South Korea are taking part in the Nations League primarily to gain international exposure rather than with any realistic hopes of progressing to the play-offs. In contrast, Italy come into the tournament as reigning champions, the current world number one, and clear favourites for the title. For Italy, anything less than a convincing win over such a clear underdog would be unacceptable.
South Korea (women)
Currently ranked outside the top 30 globally, South Korea do not possess the competitive edge needed to challenge the stronger nations. Recent friendly victories against Romania (ranked 28th) may give an inflated impression of their form. However, in competitive fixtures, they have consistently struggled, particularly when facing top-tier opponents. In their last nine matches against top-10 ranked nations, the squad failed to win a single set. Their record against Italy is equally discouraging, with seven consecutive defeats, the last two by margins of at least 27 points.
Italy (women)
Firmly atop the world rankings, Italy continue to deliver high-level performances despite some criticism of their pre-tournament preparations. They are currently on a 16-match winning streak in official competition, with 11 of those victories coming in straight sets. In the Nations League opener, the squad comfortably overcame the USA (5th), though needed five sets to edge past Germany (12th) in a more challenging encounter. Nevertheless, a similarly tense match is not expected here, especially as Italy won the last two meetings against South Korea in straight sets.
South Korea (women) vs Italy (women) Prediction
The disparity in quality between the teams is considerable, and even the most basic statistics suggest there is little chance of a close contest. Italy tend to approach these matches with focus and discipline, rarely allowing intensity to drop across any set. Given South Korea’s consistent record of heavy defeats against elite opposition, this match is likely to follow the same trajectory.
